Kuzul

We all know that the Yankees have another solid team heading into the 2011 baseball season.  However, there is a reason why they are not the favorites this season and it is much bigger than failing to get Cliff Lee and barely attempting to get now new Boston Red Sox, Carl Crawford.

The Yankees still have a powerful lineup especially when clicking all at once.  They have a much improved bullpen as they signed Pedro Feliciano and Rafael Soriano.  They are finally heading into a spring training where they will give Jesus Montero and Austin Romine a big chance to make the Major League squad.  Of course as we all know only one can make it.

They have Damaso Marte coming back from  injury to give them a viable second left handed reliever to bring out of the bullpen along with Feliciano.  Though they did lose Andy Pettitte to retirement, they have two front line starters in C.C Sabathia and Phil Hughes along A.J Burnett who believe it or not will rebound in 2011 to have his usual 14 or 15 win season.

Now, of course Burnett will have games where he makes you want to throw and break something.  But, on the positive side, he will also have those spectacular outings that will make you wonder, why with a curveball like he possesses is he not one of the greatest pitchers in the game?

That’s the good side of the Yankees as a whole.  The bad side—well we all know what it is.  They have mediocre pitching at the 4th and 5th starting rotation spots. Their bench is okay at best and some might say that Derek Jeter’s defense is another issue.  But frankly that is ridiculous.  When Jeter is hitting well the media says he is playing great defense and when he is batting .260 like he was last season his defense is a “liability”.

It is to be expected that this team will not look the same when we get into the dog days of August and September because of the two glaring holes on the bench and in the starting rotation.  That is the beauty of of having rich bosses who will undoubtedly invest money in a starter and some bench help by the July 31st trade deadline.

With that said, the biggest concern with this Yankee team is Joe Girardi.  The truth is that though they are not the favorite to win it all this season the Yankees have a really good shot.  It is up to Girardi to not mess it up and to help this team overcome all the flaws that they have this season.  That is what good managers do.

Thankfully this writer is willing to help.

Now, it is well known that managing from your living room couch when you are not in the public eye, and criticizing from the outside looking in is much easier than being one of only 30 major league managers.  Not to mention that a Yankee manager works for an organization that has no patience for not winning it all.

But eh! I decided to do it anyway.

Here is how the 2011 Yankees should be managed from starting pitching, to the lineup, the bullpen, the bench and defense.

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Well, the Super Bowl is over, and that only means only thing: the countdown to Opening Day has just begun. There are 51 days left until then (as of Monday, February 7). That gives us just about a month and a half to prepare.

The Yankees have had an interesting offseason; and by interesting, I really mean disappointing. Highlighted by the failed signing of ace Cliff Lee, the Yankees also watched its two toughest division opponents go in opposite directions.

Before we look ahead to this season, let’s recap last year.

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As fantasy baseball drafts quickly approach, I thought it would be helpful to provide a quick reference cheat sheet for closers.

Remember, don’t take a closer too early, as there is value to be had late in drafts.

AL East

The addition of Rafael Soriano to the Yankee bullpen has some wondering if Mariano Rivera’s days in pinstripes are numbered. After all, the Hall of Fame closer is 41 years old and could be running out of gas.

The Tampa Bay Rays have yet to announce a replacement for Rafael Soriano; however, we anticipate that newly acquired Kyle Farnsworth will be given that role on opening day. Farnsworth is somewhat of a head case and may be a risky choice. Buyer beware.

The Blue Jays may also begin the year with a new closer, as Frank Francisco was acquired via trade from the Rangers. 

For those looking for a value pick this season, Kevin Gregg is a decent closer who will pitch for an improved Baltimore team in 2011.

The Orioles lack the starting pitching required to compete for the AL East crown; however, their offense should keep the team in games while giving Gregg a number of save opportunities.

AL West

There has been some speculation that Mike Maddux and Ron Washington want to move Neftali Feliz to the starting rotation. The trade of Frank Francisco to the Blue Jays limits the team’s depth in the pen, leading us to believe that Feliz will be the closer this season.

Although the A’s acquired veteran closer Brian Fuentes this off-season, the club will likely continue to use Andrew Bailey as their closer. Bailey had a superb 2010 season in which he posted 25 saves and a 1.47 ERA.

Fernando Rodney will likely be the Angels closer this season, despite a poor 2010 campaign where he had an ERA of 4.24 and a pedestrian strikeout per nine of only 7.0. To excel at closing, it is helpful to be able to strike out a batter when a tough out is needed.

AL Central

The top closer in the AL Central is on arguably the worst team. Joakim Soria has a career ERA of 2.01 and delivered three straight 30-plus save seasons for the lowly Royals. Draft him with confidence this season as he has been the model of consistency throughout his young career.

Matt Capps is currently listed as the closer on the Twins official website; however, we have a gut feeling that Joe Nathan will regain his role as the closer this season. Nathan was solid as the team’s closer prior to his injury last season.

Our sleeper closer for the AL Central is the 6-foot-6 Matt Thornton. He has excellent stuff, and will get numerous opportunities for an improved White Sox club. We are picking the White Sox to win the Central and believe Thornton will log 30 saves this season.

Check out my NL Closer List Here.

This article was originally published on www.kramericasports.com, the home of free fantasy news, rankings and advice.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s a sad day in Yankees Universe.

Sad because the organization is now one step closer to being completely rid of all faces from the Yankee dynasty that lasted from 1996 to 2001 after Andy Pettitte announced his retirement at Yankee Stadium Friday morning. The Core Four of Pettitte, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera—the only remaining members—is officially down to three.

Sad because it was clear after last year that Pettitte had another good season or two left in him.

Sad because New York desperately needed him to return in 2011 and maybe again in 2012. The starting rotation is a mess and that’s as official as No. 46′s retirement.

With that said, now is a good time to reflect.

When I think of Pettitte, one word immediately comes to mind: winner.

He never had the best stuff. His fastball never reached the high-90s. He wasn’t a strikeout machine, and I can’t count the number of times I heard former manager Joe Torre or current manager Joe Girardi say the following after one of his starts: “Andy struggled a bit tonight. He really had to battle out there to get it done.”

But you know what? He usually delivered. Two-hundred and forty times to be exact, and 19 times in the postseason, a Major League Baseball record.

In total, Pettitte made 479 starts over 16 seasons, 13 with the Yankees and three with the Houston Astros. He recorded 25 complete games, 2,251 strikeouts, an earned run average of 3.88 and pitched over 200 innings 10 times, with two others falling short by 10 innings or less.

Anything about those numbers jump out at you? Probably not, but how about the fact that he lost 138 games, or 102 fewer than he won?

The early word on Pettitte’s Hall of Fame chances is he will fall just short, but history suggests otherwise. Every pitcher that won 100 or more games than he lost has been immortalized in Cooperstown.

Pettitte deserves the Hall. Yes his numbers aren’t that of the average pitcher to receive the highest honor. Yes, there were times that he undoubtedly benefited from the support of the always electric Yankees offense, but the franchise also won a ton because of Pettitte.

In all fives championship years, he won two or more decisions in the playoffs and three times he went through without a defeat, the last coming in 2009 when he won four of the 12 games needed to be crowned World Series champions. In the 2003 postseason that ended with a World Series loss to the Florida Marlins, he finished 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA in five starts.

Like it or not, the committee should take into consideration that he won most of his games under the pressure of the “championship or bust” mentality held by the late George Steinbrenner, and the pressure of New York City and its spoiled fan base.

Scoff if you will, but one future Hall of Famer, Randy Johnson, tried and failed. A countless number of frontline starters couldn’t take the heat, with names such as Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown, and Javier Vazquez coming to mind. I think it’s safe to add A.J. Burnett to that list.

There was also a report this winter that 2009 Cy Young winner Zack Greinke would veto a trade to New York because he knew he couldn’t handle to constant anxiety of pitching in the city.

Easy Andy took it in stride and produced in a way so many others couldn’t.

He won 21 games twice and 14 or more in 12 of his 16 years. Again, not spectacular, but steady. Some will say steady shouldn’t get you to Cooperstown.

A league personnel director called Pettitte the greatest No. 3 starter of his generation. For those of you that believe that to be an insult, consider that once the calendar changes to October, it takes at least three great starters, but in most cases four, to win a championship.

If Pettitte is considered to be the best No. 3 of his era, how does he not get into the Hall?

There’s always that admission to using Human Growth Hormone early this decade to recover faster from injury. Because he was one of few to sit in front of the media and give a heartfelt apology and explanation for his actions, it’s almost like people forget to even associate Pettitte with the hundreds of other users.

You can bet those with a vote won’t forget, and that might be what ultimately keeps him from receiving a bronze bust.

I’ll remember Pettitte best for his performance in two games. The first came in Game 5 of the 1996 World Series against the Atlanta Braves.

The series was tied 2-2. A 24-year-old Pettitte was facing John Smoltz, baseball’s premier pitcher at the time, on the road.

Smoltz was incredible, going eight innings, striking out 10 batters and allowing just a single run on four hits.

Unfortunately for Atlanta, that single run was all Pettitte would need, as he pitched 8.1 scoreless innings, allowing just five hits while striking out four.

Pettitte one-upped Smoltz and the Yankees won 1-0 to take a 3-2 series lead back to New York, where they would wrap up the first of five championships in a 13-year span.

My second favorite memory of his came in Game 3 of the 2009 World Series against Philadelphia. Once again, pitching on the road in a tie series, Pettitte delivered both on the mound and at the plate in one of those vintage “he really had to battle to get it done” showings.

New York trailed 3-0 early, and 3-2 in the fifth when the easiest out on the lineup card stepped in the box with Nick Swisher in scoring position. Pettitte lined a single to center, driving in the game’s tying run and giving his Yankees all the momentum they would need to steal a much-needed road victory.

He pitched six solid innings, allowing four runs on five hits, while striking out seven over the course of 104 pitches. New York won 8-5 and clinched the series in six games for team title No. 27.

That night was a perfect example of a winner doing whatever it took to do what he does best: win.

Maybe his stuff wasn’t overpowering, and maybe his numbers pale in comparison to the likes of Pedro Martinez. Maybe Cooperstown will accept that and maybe it won’t.

One thing is for certain, and that is Monument Park at Yankee Stadium will have a place for Andy Pettitte. He’ll have a bronze plate describing a long list of credentials that better that of most Yankee greats.

Ultimately, that’s where Pettitte belongs because that’s where the finest players of professional sport’s winningest organization rest.

Thanks for the memories, Andy, wherever you end up.

For more, visit my website at www.pointbartemus.com, a sports forum.

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After the Toronto Blue Jays acquired power arm Frank Francisco from the Texas Rangers, it became a possibility that the Jays could run well into the season with a 13-man pitching staff.

Even though running eight relievers seems like the perfect insurance to a very young rotation, it begs one question: Even though there’s quantity, do the Jays have quality in their ‘pen?

Well, I thought, what better way to answer that question than to compare the Jays’ relief corps to those of their major competitors in the AL East, and those who are also thought to have solid relievers—the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox?

Answering the question won’t have the best answer due to the fact that injuries, slow starts, etc. will all have an effect on the bullpen’s seasons, but looking deep into the statistics should help us understand who is projected to have the stronger bullpen based on last season’s production from all the pitchers who are part of the three teams.

Boston Red Sox

Projected Bullpen: Bobby Jenks, Dan Wheeler, Matt Albers, Daniel Bard, Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Tim Wakefield

Projected Bullpen Stat Line: 3.94 ERA, .245 BAA, 1.17 WHIP

The Red Sox bullpen can be considered a hit or miss type of relief team. If the team reaches even half its potential, their overall ERA will be much below 3.00, while teams will struggle to hit against them. However, if all their relievers play like last season or close to it, the above stat line is quite realistic.

Jonathan Papelbon will most likely start the season as closer, but if he falters, he will have two other pitchers just as capable in Bobby Jenks and Daniel Bard waiting.

The Sox will also have trouble with left-handed batting, as all their relievers—with the exception of Bard—had ERAs above 4.80 when pitching against lefties last season. They should specialize against righties.

New York Yankees

Projected Bullpen: Mariano Rivera, Rafael Soriano, Joba Chamberlain, Boone Logan, David Robertson, Pedro Feliciano

Projected Bullpen Stat Line: 3.00 ERA, .226 BAA, 1.21 WHIP

The Yankees most likely have the deepest pitching staff in baseball—in terms of the back end of it. Mariano Rivera will surely have yet another stellar season, while Rafael Soriano is another premier closer who will set up for the veteran. David Robertson is a fine complement to that fantastic duo.

However, when you look at the long-relieving options for the Yankees, well, there really aren’t any. Joba Chamberlain can be considered a long reliever, but his stamina has been questionable of late and can’t be fully relied on. Pedro Feliciano and Boone Logan are better suited as middle or late relief than long too.

The question remains, what happens when A.J. Burnett or Phil Hughes has his trademark “off night?” It’s a question the Yankees are hoping to answer with Chamberlain and perhaps some of their younger arms still in the minors, like Ivan Nova.

The Yankees should be fine when batting against lefties, as even though Soriano’s and Rivera’s strong sides are against righties, their BAAs vs. lefties are still quite respectable. Logan and Feliciano should also help shut down left-handed batting.

Toronto Blue Jays

Projected Bullpen: Octavio Dotel, Jason Frasor, Jon Rauch, Frank Francisco, Shawn Camp, Jesse Carlson, Casey Janssen, David Purcey

Projected Bullpen Stat Line: 3.70 ERA, .246 BAA, 1.30 WHIP

The Blue Jays don’t really have an electric-type arm like the Yanks and Sox have, but they do have something the other two don’t—reliability at both ends of the staff and on both sides of the ball. They will rely on Casey Janssen and Shawn Camp for long relief, while the rest will combine to form a solid middle and late relief team.

Toronto will also have some versatility in their relief team. Relievers Camp, Janssen, David Purcey and Jon Rauch will be able to pitch at both ends of the bullpen, while they will also specialize in certain roles.

Rauch may close for the team, while Carlson and Purcey will be relied on to shut down left-handed batting. Camp should be one of John Farrell’s go-to relievers, given his proven reliability.

Something the Jays don’t have is a sure-fire closer. They will have a bevy of relievers competing for the job, most notably Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel and Frank Francisco. Others who will battle for the position include Jason Frasor and former All-Star Chad Cordero. However, they do have quantity at the position, so if anyone falters, there will always be a fallback option.

Conclusion

If you match up all the ‘pens against each other, the Yankees are the clear-cut winners based on stats. They have the best closer in the game, probably the best setup man in the game and one of the better left-handed specialists as well. Nonetheless, their long relief will remain a question, simply because of the known inconsistency their rotation will inevitably face.

The Red Sox are also strong at the closing position but will face some real struggles with left-handed batting. No one in their bullpen is really a specialist in terms of lefties. Also, despite completely cleaning the house of relievers in the free market this winter, the Red Sox still don’t have a reliable long relief option either. Most of their better relievers are suited for setup/closing roles.

The Jays, I think anyway, have the best bullpen of the three. Despite not having a sure-fire closer, they do have numerous reliable options at the position to fill in for the dominance the Sox and Yankees have at the position. The Jays also have numerous long relief options, which should pay dividends for a young rotation. The Jays are also strong on both sides of the plate, where the other two are only dominant on one side.

The Jays are committing a lot of money to their relief corps this season, and it should pay off well, as Toronto not only has quantity but has quantity too. This should put them a step ahead in terms of pitching vs. the Red Sox and Yankees.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I spend way to much time at baseballreference.com. For real. There actually might be something wrong with me. I don’t know what it is about baseball statistics and history that fascinates so much, all I know is that I’ve studied this stuff since I was eight years old and got my first pack of cards.

In one of my days of “research,” I compiled a list of the greatest pitchers for each franchise. There were teams like Atlanta that had guys like Warren Spahn, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Then there were teams like the Milwaukee Brewers that hadn’t ever had a great pitcher in the history of their franchise. Guys like Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling didn’t make this list, but others like Doug Drabek did. 

So anyway, here are greatest pitchers in each teams history.

Writer’s Note: Players had to be playing during or after Jackie Robinson’s debut to be considered (for obvious reasons). Baseball has been around for ever, and you gotta draw the line somewhere. 

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As Spring Training nears closer, baseball fever is beginning to run rampant. With only one week left in the NFL season, it’s only a matter of time before people start looking south to Florida for hints at what’s to come in the new season.

Over the next couple of months, I’ll be breaking down a division each week before making my final predictions for how the season is going to turn out.

First up, the loaded AL East.

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It’s almost time for pitchers and catchers to report to their spring training cites. This means the men who each team count on to secure a win will be reporting. In the last inning in a close game, the team’s manager calls on his best bullpen pitcher to come into the game and shut the door. The closers role is one of the most important roles on a baseball team. Let us countdown the Top 10.

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The Yankees have made an adjustment to their bullpen and the change is exceptional.

Pitcher Rafael Soriano has been welcomed to the team as Mariano Rivera’s setup man. The 31-year-old accepted a three year, $35 million contract with the bombers and will contribute to a dominating bullpen, saving games and ending them quicker.

As a possible and likely successor to Mariano’s closer position, the Yankees seem to be in good shape for the 2011 season. But do these two talented closers remind you of a previous unstoppable duo?

In the beginning of Rivera’s career, before he became the best closer in baseball, he was the setup man to John Wetteland. These two worked together and brought the Yankees to a 1996 World Series win.

Their work together was remarkable, but can Soriano and Rivera become a better and more dominant closing duo?

Here are 10 reasons why Rivera and Soriano are the better duo. 

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Is it just me, or are there any other people scratching their heads over the Yankees’ personnel decisions this offseason?

This is the time of the year that the Pinstripes are supposed to re-tool for another run at another World Series crown, isn’t it?

So far the Yanks have failed to sign a top-tier free agent outside of Rafael Soriano who will be paid $10 million to pitch the eighth inning in front of Mariano Rivera.

Perhaps the most telling fact about the Bronx Bombers’ offseason mediocrity is the rejection of Cliff Lee when he turned down the Yankees and signed with Phillies for less money. You have to go back to 1992 to find the last time that a free agent turned down a better offer from the Yankees to sign with another team when Greg Maddux opted to sign with Atlanta rather than wear pinstripes. That’s almost 20 years!

Do the Yankees make the grade with their offseason moves thus far?

Let’s take a look at some of their notable offseason transactions. Then, you decide.

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